Framlingham: Town urged to take control if its future by completing survey

09:00 24 January 2014

Andrew Hirst
andrew.hirst@archant.co.uk

The residents of Framlingham have been urged to respond to a survey seeking their views on the town.

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A market town in east Suffolk is hoping to take greater control of its future by providing firm evidence of the community’s hopes and views.

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The team behind Framlingham’s Residents Survey, which is scheduled for distribution today, has urged people to respond and have their say.

Results from the survey, which covers “all aspects of life and living Framlingham” will be used to direct the town’s Neighbourhood Plan, setting out its future development.

David Greenacre, chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group, said the residents’ contribution would be “vital” in providing positive outcomes for the town.

“It is their town and their future –if they want to influence what happens then (they should) provide some input,” he said.

“If the community contribute now and the plans go forward to the district (council) and those proposing future developments will have to listen and acknowledge what we have said – we have a chance to influence the future let’s make sure we seize that opportunity.”

Framlingham Town Council first started work on the project towards the end of 2012 when it held a public meeting seeking ideas for inclusions in the Neighbourhood Plan.

Working groups of councillors and residents have since gathered “large amounts of data and evidence” about what direction the town should take.

The survey and its results will be used to confirm whether the ideas raised match the residents’ wishes.

Town clerk Eileen Coe urged everyone to take part so that a comprehensive picture or the residents’ views could be gathered, lending greater weight to any suggested outcomes.

“We cannot get what we want in Framlingham until we have the evidence to support it,” she said.

“We’ve got to have more say in our future rather than having other people telling us what we’re going to get – it’s our town and our future.”

Mrs Coe said the council would do “as much as we can” to help people complete the survey by providing extra copies or assisting with its completion to ensure the greatest uptake possible.

A public meeting has been scheduled for March 18 at the United Free Church at which the results of the survey are expected to be revealed.

Dramatic increases in the average age of people in Suffolk have been highlighted in a report which reveals that in some areas nearly one in 10 are expected to be aged 85 or over in the next two decades.